Handbook of Teees of the Nortiiebn States and Canada. 1C9 



The Burr Oak has been known to attain tlie 

 great height of 170 ft. and G or 7 ft. in diame- 

 ter of trunk, in the magnificent forests of the 

 Wabash Kiver basin — dimensions which make 

 this one of the very hirgest American Oaks, 

 but such trees are very uncommon. When 

 isolated it develops an ovoid or rounded top 

 with large branches and stout branchlets. As- 

 sociate with its majestic stature the beauty of 

 its party-colored foliage and its large acorns 

 with mossy-fringed cups and we have one of 

 the' most interesting trees of its genus. It in- 

 habits almost exclusively rich bottom-lands, 

 excepting the western part of its range, in 

 company wath the Swamp White Oak, the 

 Black and Silver Maples, Big Shelbark Hick- 

 ory, Haekberry, Elms, etc. 



Its wood is heavy, a cubic foot when abso- 

 lutely dry, weighing 46.45 lbs., tough and 

 slrong.i It is fully equal in properties to that 

 of the White Oak and usually not distin- 

 guished from it in commerce. It is highly 

 valued for ship building, furniture, interior 

 finishing, agricultural implements, baskets, 

 railway ties, fuel, etc. 



fjcnvrs oliovate to oblong. .5-9 in. long, mostl\ 

 wpdge-shaped at base, deeply lyrate-plnnatifld 

 with r>-7 lobes the terminal one the largest and 

 irregularly crenate dentate, sometimes nearly en 

 tire, lustrous dark green above and whitish pubi s 

 cent beneath : petioles short. FJowcrs: staminati 

 aments slender, 2-(t in. long ; calyx yellowish witli 

 4-6 lacinately-toothed lobes. Fruit solitary or lu 

 pairs, sessile or with stalk shorter than thi 

 petioles : acorn broad-ovoid, usually rounded or 

 depressed at apes from % in. in length on northoin 

 trees to 2 in. on southern trees, with usually thiiK 

 tomentose cups, tuberculate below and with scab s 

 near the rim prolonged into awn-like tips tcjrniin.,' 

 a frin','cMl Iwirder. 



1. A. W., II, 39. 



